Dad does school drop-off, then violent drug binge

When Andrea Montiroli returned home at 9am after dropping his two children at school, a prostitute wearing a French maid's outfit and a black wig was waiting for him, a court heard today.

Montiroli, 40, had met the woman earlier at the Gotham City brothel and he had decided to ask her home to his townhouse in Elwood.

The pair then went on a 12-hour drug and alcohol binge before the woman called triple-0 after being attacked by Montiroli.

Montiroli pleaded guilty in the County Court today to one charge of intentionally causing serious injury. The maximum penalty is 20 years' jail.

Prosecutor Melissa Mahady told the court Montiroli became increasingly paranoid as the pair drank vodka and binged on cocaine and methamphetamines on Monday, May 7 this year.

At one stage he punched the woman several times in the face and placed a knife against her stomach. He grabbed her by the throat, dragged her out of the toilet and threw her around the room and into walls.

Ms Mahady said the victim felt helpless and trapped in the townhouse and was terrified of Montiroli.

She said Montiroli later picked up a samurai sword on a seat next to the kitchen bench and struck the victim on the right shoulder blade, causing a small cut.

The victim fought Montiroli off and ran upstairs to the bathroom and called triple-0.

Defence barrister Philip Dunn, QC, said Montiroli had been struggling with drug and alcohol problems for years and after his latest relationship had broken up, a mate thought he needed companionship so they went to the Gotham City brothel near Crown Casino at 4am.

Mr Dunn said Montiroli met one of the prostitutes and stayed for an hour before asking her to come back to his house because there were "getting along famously".

Montiroli's ex-wife and two children, aged 10 and 12, lived around the corner from him so he went home on his own, showered and took his son and daughter to school at 8.30am.

Mr Dunn said when Montiroli returned home he found the prostitute wearing a French maid's outfit and black wig waiting for him after catching a taxi to his place.

They started drinking vodka and taking cocaine and methamphetamines.

The court heard Montiroli later became concerned when the woman was going into his children's rooms and looking at photographs and throwing things at him.

Mr Dunn said the attack on the woman was not premeditated and had been caused by a binge on drugs and alcohol.

When he was later arrested, Montiroli asked police what they were going to charge the woman with because she had been refusing to leave his home but said he now realised his behaviour was totally out of order.

Mr Dunn said Montiroli was born in Italy and had been on national service for the Italian Army in Perugia when he met a Melbourne woman and they fell in love.

Montiroli did not speak English when he came to Australia with the woman in 1992 and they married a year later.

Montiroli, who has been diagnosed with a severe chronic drug abuse disorder, is now an in-patient at the Refocus drug rehabilitation centre and attends support group meetings to try to overcome his drug and alcohol problems.

Judge Liz Gaynor agreed to extend Montiroli's bail and will sentence him in March.